October 25, 2019
Recently my wife, Michelle, convinced me to do the Ancestry.com DNA test. As you may or may not know I was adopted when I was 4 years old and never knew who my birth family was. I had heard stories and rumors over the years from the DePelchin Faith Home that I was adopted from and my adopted mother, but nothing was ever proven other than my last name at birth. My adopted mother had heard that my birth surname was either Hill or Wells. I went to the Terrell Genealogical Library in Beaumont, Texas and researched both names in the Texas State Birth Index that had on microfiche. It turns out that there was a list for a Billy Wayne Wells born on my birth day, in the county I was born in, and with the same birth number that is on my birth certificate with my adopted name, Billy Wayne Mitchell.
So, I collected my spit in the test tube from the DNA kit and mailed it in to the Ancestry.com testing facility and in about 2 weeks my results were ready online. With the information it gave me my life was changed forever. I found not one, but TWO half-sisters, Kelli and Katheryn, from my birth mother's side of a family tree that I could now trace back! Not only that, but I found out that there was a third half-sister that still needs to be found, Barbara.
It gets even better, though...
Both of my half-sisters live in Baytown, Texas and last weekend my wife and I had to attend a wedding in Houston. We all got together for lunch the day before the wedding at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Baytown! I got to meet my sisters in person for the first time!!!
L to R: Katheryn, Kelli, Billy (me)
L to R: Billy (me), Katheryn, Kelli
Since then, I have been in contact with several other new family members such as an aunt and numerous cousins. They are all so eager to meet us!
And there is even newer news! I just came across a marriage license for my birth mother, Mozell Wells and a man named Charles Moore Siedlecki from 1969...I was born in 1970! This guy could be my birth father! I got into contact with a guy on Facebook named Louis Siedlecki who might be Charles' brother, but he hasn't responded to my Messenger message yet. He DID however accept my Friend request. Better news still....Louis lives right here in my hometown of San Marcos, Texas!!! Here's to hoping that the search for my birth-father is over!
So to all of you fellow adoptees out there...DNA testing works!!!
